Woman's Boyfriend Was Angry ... So He Took It Out On Her Cat

This small, black cat did nothing more than exist at the wrong place at the wrong time, and it very nearly killed her.

On January 19, area police officers received a call about an animal cruelty complaint in Hartford, Connecticut, the local NBC affiliate reported.

What officers found at the home of Carlos Trinidad, however, was more disturbing than they imagined - a cold, unresponsive cat who had been assaulted several times, according to NBC. The cat was bleeding from her mouth and nose, which appeared to be wet, suggesting they had been cleaned off, according to police reports.

She had been thrown against the wall and kicked across the floor, allegedly by Trinidad, Sherry DeGenova, the on-site officer with the City of Hartford Animal Control, told local radio station The River 105.9.

Most horrifying of all, the 6-month-old cat had been hung from a doorknob by a shoestring. The cat belonged to the girlfriend of Trinidad and appeared to get caught in the crossfire of an argument between the two.

The cat, who was named Dolce by her rescuers, was quickly taken to a local vet for medical care. "She literally had no body temperature," DeGenova told The River. "Her body was going into shock. I honestly didn't think this cat was going to make it."

But she was a fighter.

Dolce made her way to Kenway's Cause, an organization that provides medical care and support to injured animals who are picked up by animal control. Her journey toward healing had finally begun. From there, Dolce moved to Cassie's Kitten Kastle, a local organization dedicated to fostering, re-homing and getting rescue cats adopted.

Sadly pets caught in the crossfire of domestic abuse isn't an uncommon reality. According to the American Humane Association, a disturbing 68 percent of battered women report violence shown toward their animals.

Thankfully, it didn't take long for this sweet kitten to find a forever home where she'll never have to face such trauma again.

As for Trinidad, he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, cruelty to animals, tampering with physical evidence and second-degree reckless endangerment, according to WSFB. He was held on a $250,000 bond and is expected to appear in court on February 23.

The Hartford police department did not immediately respond to The Dodo's request for comment.

Are you interested in giving a rescue cat like Piper a safe and loving home? Check out Adopt-a-Pet.com.

Watch a full report of Piper's story below: